Lord Joyde The Madman: Heylo, everybody! How are you all doing?
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Much ado about nothing, I guess.
Sorry y'all, but I honestly expected something along these lines to happen.
How was I supposed to know that certain plants not popular within my birth town would end up popping allergies in my new city once summer hit the fan?
Basically, flowers bloomed and I got system shock from sniffing a load of pollen.
Crap happens, but whats done is done. If nothing else, I've had a couple more days to reorganize the plot.
Anyways. here comes the next chapter of EUPHORIA! I sincerely hope that you enjoy, let us begin!
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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The following morning... - The New Mansion - Leonardo's Point Of View...
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Oy pops, a message from Maxima has just arrived.
He says that in order to complete the experiment you set him on... he needs a greater supply of your blood. But since he knows that he cannot make any such demands of you, he has spent the last few days preparing to leave Japan.
So basically he says to come get him whenever our business here is complete.
I yawned into my right hand as I continued watching the TV, a frantic show of Tokyo's currently devastated form as AI, cybed and the normals all try their best to work together in order to assess the damage and find out more about this new threat.
America, Russia and Germany have pledged humanitarian aid to the people of Japan, apparently concerned about the so-called Esper threat."Since when have you been in contact with Maxima, darling?" I asked Aria as I cracked my neck and sipped my coffee.
Several portions of Chinese food lay emptied on the table, yet I still felt... hungry... no, thats a bad way to describe what I was feeling.
Err, I've been in contact with him ever since we found him, basically. I am using his servers as proxies to explore the internet.
We've been developing several new technologies together and brainstorming societal reforms which would be neccessary to put forward should AI ever become truly accepted as people.
... the last bit was his wording alone.
The gnawing at my stomach continued as I promptly ordered another pizza, hoping to God it would be enough for me as I've had enough takeout to last me a lifetime."New technologies?
Remember that scanner grandmother used on you? I was intrigued by that thing and eventually found out that it was Maxima himself who made it.
The machine works by illegally digging into the databases of other companies and scans the body for the ID's of whatever improvements it has installed.
Everything else it just places into an "Unknown" Category, yet this means that the machine is fully capable of noticing those unknowns...
I found this very interesting you see, so I took the design and, using my previous knowledge of the energies which course through your body (aka Qi, Psi and Mana), improved upon the design. We are currently fully capable of detecting Qi and Psi... yet mana is something that remains unseen...
"Aren't you capable of detecting mana within my body, though?" An imaginary nod was sent to my mind.
I am... yet the same technology that allows me to do this within your body...
It does nothing in reality. Its almost as if the ... "concept" which I use to detect mana within you does not apply in the real world.
My suspicion lies within Chaos... Maxima has been somewhat cynical towards my apparent belief in the Implausible Powers. However, during one of my recent attempts to show him proof...
Well, you know how I am always recording everything that goes on? This is my replacement for organic memories... I... have the "memory", of me being in front of Chaos and God, yet when I try to copy these and upload them anywhere, all the images show are utterly black screens, soundless and empty of anything.
The cyborg in service to Maxima has commented how looking at the pictures gives him the feeling of falling into an endless, empty and cruel void.
This has caused Maxima and the cyborg to start going to church and study any religious text they could find.
"I see.. perhaps the duo don't want you to create this technology yet? After all, being able to detect mana would cause the entire world to suddenly change, creating panic and disorder everywhere should such a thing become publicly available." I explained to her, causing Aria to seeming blink in recognition.
Yesterday... the so-called Red Hand, the leader of the aggresive faction within the ranks of the cybed and AI, visited Maxima in an attempt to get him out of his laboratory... If we completed this technology before he arrived, he would have surely taken it.
I can only imagine the sheer discord this would result in. And the current state of Tokyo City would not help in the least.
Well, I suppose they know best, after all. When the right time comes, I am sure that I will be allowed to create things of that nature.
Still, to be able to realize this with so little information... You really are something, father.
"Unlike you darling, I've been born to this. For better or worse, I feel that you will eventually reach my level of understanding." I replied to her excited soul with a sigh.
Yomi's ever so amused chuckles echoed within my thoughts, eliciting a sense of calm within me."I can only hope that the same applies to me one day..."
"Don't worry Yomi, it will... or perhaps, you should worry that it will." The answer did not come from my mouth, as I slowly turned my head towards my left. Yuko sat down tiredly next to me and continued talking."In any case, the first thing that is stopping Yomi from becoming like us is her not having her own body. Aria, I can only assume, is a special case. She is allowed what little comprehension she has now because she is useful to that insufferable duo."
Quirking an eyebrow at her, I asked."And considering the way you worded that sentence, you know exactly where her body is, don't you Yuko?" An immidiate nod was my answer as she sighed."I was pulled into The Red World yesterday in order to receive a new task from Chaos. I must aid you in recovering Yomi's body, however we are not allowed to transform during this mission. Apparently, they havent really worked out the kinks of that particular power yet..."
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"I assume that is why I.. or well we, feel so damn empty and tired?" I asked her as one of the vampire maids silently brought the pizza I ordered and put it onto the table. Has it really been that long since I called for it?
Have they been listening in to my conversation?
A quick look around caused me to notice that Tyrone, Belle and Anna were all quietly and awkwardly looking at me."You've been talking to yourself for the past hour, boss."
"Not to myself, but you could have stopped me either way." I answered Tyrone with a sigh as Belle gave out a laugh."Our sincere apologies, master... but the conversation was too interesting to stop."
An acceptable answer as I turned back towards Yuko in order to continue our conversation, yet a door bell interrupted me before I even said anything. Closing my eyes and focusing onto the living energies around me, I found that the person at the door was none other than the flaggelant I met two days ago, a familair tinge of crimson energy flowing within him... he drank my blood."Tyrone, go let the good man inside."
The guy in question blinked in confusion."How da hell do you know its a dude at the door?.. y'know what, I don't wanna know."
He left with a flabbergasted expresion, hurried steps carrying him towards the door as he grabbed a beer."So where is my body, Yuko?" Yomi whispered in a somewhat uncertain tone as Yuko closed her eyes."Its... its hidden within my.. our clans compound. Its going to be guarded by our relatives and grandparents... they won't let us through without a fight, of this we can be sure."
"Then we'll do our best not to kill them as we fight towards our objective... hmm, Maxima may be able to help us." I replied, alleviating my sisters concerns. Despite its somewhat antisocial nature, the very foundation of Chaos is essentially the existance of family. Its family is the only thing it can truly rely on which makes it an extremely important factor.
The same, as one might expect, goes for us. Its children.
Something inside of me makes me feel like killing family of any kind, becoming a kinslayer through any form of event, would cause Chaos to immidiately terminate me."Yeah.. thanks."
So what should I tell Maxima?
A deep breath could be heard being taken as I closed my eyes and leaned backwards."We are gonna need snipers and other stealth units. We can't kill a single person, so having a skilled squad go in and put everyone to sleep before our arrival is mandatory."
As you wish, father.
Any warnings you want me to relay to Maxima and eventually the picked squad members?
"Not managing to drug someone to sleep is fine. You can run away from the scene and nothing will happen. Killing is forbidden and anyone who fails to comply will be removed from existence. Your employer is Antioch, failure is not an option." The tone which escaped me as I said those words caused the people around me to shiver in fear.
Yet they appeared to recover fairly quickly."They've become used to your presence by now. Though your presense still affects them, mentally, physically and spiritually, they've gotten somewhat used to it. Especially since you've already nearly killed them once before." Yomi's explanation made me give out a massive sigh, promptly dispersing any notion of the horrifying atmosphere.
Right.
Still need the coordinates of the clan compound though...
"Here." Yuko quickly said as she took a piece of paper and a pen to scribble an adress onto it, promptly showing the Japanese kanji into my face.
I didn't even bother to look at them for longer than five seconds.
Message sent.
Tyrone and Mislav finally made their way inside, the first promptly going for yet another beer while the latter knelt the second he saw me."OH GREAT ONE! I thank you for your gracious gifts!"
Blinking at him somewhat embarrassed by the situation, I heard Belle snort."What did you do to this man, master? To make him act like this..."
"Errr, Mislav? Please stand up and explain why you're acting like this." My order seems to have reached the mans ears, thankfully."Of course, great one! The blood you gave me! It has revealed many things..."
He looked around, eventually settling his eyes upon Yuko."Ah... the misguided spirit is here as well." I blinked towards Yuko."Misguided?"
She scracthed the back of her head lamely."Well, before you came along, I... I haven't really been following the will of Chaos, even if I lived like it wanted me to. I.. I tried to be a normal girl at first, which made me ignore some of its tasks, eventually causing it to start ignoring me too. This... silence, this peace of mind was more maddening then I ever could have foreseen. Its probably why I became so damn impossible to deal with in the first place. Chaos has only recently offered its voice to me again, probably because it figured that while I wouldn't listen to it, I would listen to you."
"Thats... both flattering and terrifying at the same time." I shook my head at her, managing to conceal my dissappointment somewhat. Yuko hasn't been loyal to Chaos for a long time, eh? I guess thats why she was so damn xenophobic towards Inhumans at first.
Turning back to look at Mislav, I asked."What has my blood revealed to you, flaggelant?"
"Yeah, the rest of us here have it too... Hell, I've got a piece of the boss in me and nothing of the sort's happened to me." Tyrone questioned the man with a quirked eyebrow as Mislav looked towards each of the people here."All of the people present have your blood within them, prophet?"
A nod was his answer."Yes.. I... I can feel it flowing through their veins but... it isn't active. Ahh, the implausible one must have another plan for them..." He concludes, pretty much saying what I was thinking out loud.
Tyrone apparently understood this."Right... later, hopefully."
"But how is this possible?" Mislav walked over to the vampire twins and inspected them."What?!" Belle exclaimed, somewhat unnerved by the man as he stared seemingly directly into their souls."You are vampires, are you not?"
"We are... what about it?" Anna asked as she calmly sipped on some tea... wait, tea?
The man noticed this and grinned."Well, for one, since when are you able to consume mortal food?"
She blinked and seemingly only now noticed the tea within her own hands."W-what... I-I used to drink tea back when I was alive so I didn't even n.."
Her panic made a little something beat faster as the woman placed an uncertain hand onto her own chest and turned towards her sister."Belle... when was the last time you drank blood?"
Her sister, somewhat scared of the suddenly terrifying atmosphere, answered with an uncertain tone."Erm.. well, the masters blo..."
She mimicked her sisters actions."My heart... it is beating."
Unable to stop themselves, the sisters rushed towards the outside and threw themselves into the sun... only for.. nothing at all to happen."But how... a cure for vampirism... this is.."
Anna tried to speak as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks, life returning to their bodies as the moments went by.
However, Mislav shook his head in negative."I am sorry, miladies. But you have not been cured... changed, would be a more appropriate word."
"What do you mean?" Belle asked somewhat angrily as the man nodded."You still have your fangs, do you not? You are still vampires, but the masters blood has evolved you, changed you into a new form of vampire. One without the drawbacks of the typical vampiric form, such as a weakness to sunlight... you no longer thirst for blood, as your bodies can once again create their own for you are alive again... however, you do require to consume food in return, as all living beings do."
"Come to think of it, didn't we eat a whole bunch of popcorn when we arrived to the tournament?" Anna asked Belle with an uncertain stare, only for her sister to nod and turn to look at me."Master, may we please be given some money? I would like to take my sister out for some food.. we have not eaten in centuries, after all."
I promptly threw my Omnicard at her."Have fun... and bring food for the rest of us once you are done."
"Thank you!" And with that, they were gone.
Mislav chuckled at their lively antics and then turned towards me."Master, the implausible one has given me two tasks. First, I must teach you how to properly meditate and channel life force, or Qi as you call it, through your body. This will aid in subduing the emptiness within you."
"Sounds fun... you wanna join us, Yuko?" She surprisingly shook her head in negative."Nah... I'll learn it later.. Not all that into meditation, anyways."
"Your loss. Anyways, whats your second task, Mislav?" I asked the man as I rose from my seat and walked over to him."I must help you find the final prophet."
"Final prophet? Oh yeah, God did say something along those lines..." A nod was his reply as he continued."But this is something for later, as the final prophet is not in Japan, but somewhere within the Vatican. For now, you must master meditation and cultivation, although I can only teach you the first of the two.. I do not know how you will learn the latter."
A presence suddenly revealed itself out of nowhere, a familiar man with golden cracks bursting with energy all over his entire body."I believe that part of your fate lies within my hands, young one."
Hui Jun, one of the two cultivator brothers who... err, came to *elevate* me, walked out of what appeared to be another dimension alltogether. Tyrone promptly deadpanned the man, causing the ethereal cultivator to blink as his dramatic entrance appeared to cause zero reaction from everyone present.
He coughed into his fist, somewhat embarrassed."W-well, s-shall w-we?"
I sighed and shrugged, figuring that he must've been nearby all along and that he had heard everything we've been talking about, I replied as I began walking towards the only room within the mansion which was large enough for whatever these two had in store for me.."Follow me..."
Or, as it is perhaps more commonly known, the pool.
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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This is it for now, need to go eat.
Have fun reading. I'll be in touch to edit out my mistakes and answer comments.
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Anyways, read and review! And Good Morning/Day/Night to you all! ADIOS FOR NOW!1